Prime Tire Newsletter | This is The Athletic’s F1 newsletter. Sign up here to receive Prime Tire directly in your inbox twice a week during the season and weekly in the offseason.
Welcome back to Prime Tire! Today, we’re gearing up for the start of the upcoming Formula One season, which will include three key phases.
The journey to the 2026 championship begins with the Australian Grand Prix on March 8. However, before that, two major events of the F1 calendar await us.
The official preseason will kick off with testing in Bahrain this February, but first, it’s launch season, where teams unveil their new designs for the year.
I’m Alex, and let’s dive into this exciting time for Formula One.
New Car Launch Schedule
What to Anticipate During Launch Season
The onset of a new F1 season is always thrilling, especially with a new set of rules heightening this excitement.
For fans of teams that haven’t claimed a title in years, the “this is our year” optimism fills the chilly January air.
However, with the introduction of an entirely new ruleset, there’s much anticipation as we await the true designs revealed in actual cars.
While some images may appear sleek, they often won’t reflect the actual designs due to the need for teams to balance functionality with aesthetics amid regulation constraints.
F1 teams are focused on speed, often prioritizing performance over looks. Ultimately, a successful car has its own beauty.
An interesting note this launch season is that with shakedown testing occurring behind closed doors in Barcelona from January 26-30, some teams may initially only unveil their car liveries instead of complete designs.
The Barcelona testing will not be designated a full test; that status belongs to the official preseason session at the Bahrain International Circuit, which starts on February 11.
Reader Voting Results
Your Picks for the 2025 Season’s Best and Worst Drivers
In our Christmas Eve edition, I invited you to vote for the top drivers of 2025, allowing for opinions on those who didn’t perform as well.
The results are in, and Pierre Gasly didn’t fare well in your rankings!
- Max Verstappen
- Lando Norris
- George Russell
- Charles Leclerc
- Oscar Piastri
- Carlos Sainz
- Isack Hadjar
- Fernando Alonso
- Kimi Antonelli
- Ollie Bearman
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Alex Albon
- Pierre Gasly
- Lewis Hamilton
- Gabriel Bortoleto
- Liam Lawson
- Esteban Ocon
- Yuki Tsunoda
- Franco Colapinto
- Lance Stroll
- Jack Doohan
This emphasizes how challenging it can be to stand out in F1, as drivers can be hampered by their teams, evident in Max Verstappen being ranked as the best despite missing the championship title.
Thank you to everyone who participated. To those who rated Verstappen and Stroll exceptionally: Kudos for the entertaining results!
News Outside the Points
🗓️ Haas has rescheduled its 2026 launch to avoid clashes with other team launches, benefiting both fans and their marketing.
🏎️ Audi recently started its first F1 engine within its 2026 chassis, a standard practice indicating progress in their car build.
🚨 Attracting new engine builders was a primary goal of the new F1 engine technology introduced this year.
👨 Gianpiero Lambiase, Verstappen’s engineer, will remain with Red Bull, despite speculation linking him to a future move to Aston Martin.
📫 Enjoy Prime Tire? Check out The Athletic’s other newsletters.
